Here’s our cleaning caddy full of natural products that are tough on dirt but easy on the environment.  

Try these recipes that use everyday staples from your pantry. To polish wood furniture, mix two parts olive oil with one part lemon juice in a jar or container with a lid. Shake well and apply a small amount to wood surfaces with a clean cloth. Let it soak in, then wipe dry. Remove tarnish from copper with a slice or wedge of lemon dipped in baking soda or salt. To clean stone, marble, ceramic tile, and vinyl floors, add 2 ounces of Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap (drbronner.com) to a bucket of warm water, then mop. For carpet stains (red wine, tea, coffee), cover the entire spot with a thick layer of salt. Let the salt soak up the stain, then vacuum up the salt. Saddle soap removes scuffs from leather furniture. Dab on a small amount using a clean, dry cloth; work in circles until scuff mark is gone. For whiter whites, wrap the peel of one lemon in cheesecloth, tie securely, and add to the wash cycle.

MORE GREEN SPRING CLEANING TIPS
• To remove rust from cast iron and tin, dip a peeled potato in baking soda and rub.
• Spray distilled white vinegar on glass windows to make them sparkle.
• To remove bathroom mold, mix one part hydrogen peroxide (3%) with two parts water and spray on mold. Wait one hour, then rinse with clean water.
• A solution of one cup olive oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar will remove white water rings from wood furniture.
• To clean hard-to-reach glass decanters, combine a solution of warm water, baking soda and crushed egg shells. Swirl around in the decanter and let stand overnight. Then rinse thoroughly.
• For dirty hairbrushes and combs, soak for one hour in a solution of warm water and baking soda.
• For stubborn stains inside coffee cups, fill cup with a solution of baking soda and white distilled vinegar.
• To get rid of stale odors in a lunch box or cookie tin, dip a slice of fresh bread in vinegar and leave in container overnight.
• To remove deodorant stains on clothes, dip a rag in vinegar and rub across stain.
 
Don’t want to make your own products? Here are some of our favorite non-toxic cleaners:
Method products (www.methodhome.com)
Art Home (www.fruits-passion.com)
The Good Home Company (www.apeacefulco.com)
Mrs. Meyer’s (www.mrsmeyers.com)
Super Pine (www.gaiam.com)
Essencia (www.essenciaonline.com)
Le Pere Pelletier (www.frenchsoaps.com)